Evening and Morning
by Enigma149
Summary: A boy who had everything challenged Arceus for its domain…and lost. Now, he must deal with his punishment, and also seek a means of escape. One-shot. Rated T for "death".


**Evening and Morning**

_Summary _– A boy who had everything challenged Arceus for its domain…and lost. Now, he must deal with his punishment.

_Author's Notes_ – This was a short one-shot I came up with, partially inspired (especially the ending) by Isaac Asimov's _The Last Question, _even though I've never read it. I do not own this story. Also, I don't own Pokémon (that belongs to Nintendo, Gamefreak, Creatures, the Pokémon Company, et cetera). This is probably a good thing. Finally, this is my first story, so I appreciate your comments (even criticism, so long as it is constructive).

* * *

Three years. It had been three years. Samuel Oak IV (great grandchild of the Professor Oak) still couldn't shake the memory from his thoughts. Of course, he had much to think about, even going so far as to discover the meaning of life…and death. But with neither, he had no one to share it with…

* * *

_Careful…careful…just a few more notes. G…E…G…C sharp…E…DONE!_ Sam's face bore a look of triumph as the azure flute in his hand began to glow. It had taken years to reach this spot. He had conquered all the leagues, even beaten the battle frontiers. Now, however, came the moment of triumph, something to set himself apart from all the other Oaks – he would acquire the power of the gods. With the knowledge that his moment of glory was within the day, he ascended the steps to the Hall of Origin two at a time, already preparing his first Pokéball…

* * *

Gazing into the distance, Samuel once again was met with the unending dance of the Colors. He had noticed them upon his arrival. All eight colors were represented equally: red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple, black, and white, each constantly moving in on themselves, forming nebulae with their tails, and shaming even the most determined artist. Yet no matter how hard he tried, he could not reach them, for movement is impossible for energy without a vessel…

* * *

Arceus awaited him at the peak. For the first time since he entered Mt. Coronet, Sam was met with unease, knowing this battle would not be easy. Yet Arceus neither spoke to him nor ignored him, but merely gazed his general direction. Sam threw the Pokéball in his hand to the ground, sending forth a brilliant flash of light reflected in Arceus's eyes. From the spot the ball had impacted came forth Dialga, the ruler of time. For the first time, Arceus spoke.

"I know of your intentions, but I must warn you. You cannot defeat me. Please turn back…"

* * *

It had only been the past month that Samuel decided not to spend all of eternity chasing the lights. And so he entered a deep state of meditation, pondering his current situation and making futile efforts to escape. Alas, he could determine nothing that would escape him from the void…

* * *

The battle had been intense. It was evident Arceus was far stronger than any of Sam's Pokémon alone, but together they made for a good match. For a moment while Arceus was paralyzed, it seemed as though Sam would win. Yet a lucky Hyper Beam reduced Sam's second-to-last Pokémon to nothing but a pile of rocks (which, in reality, was all the Golem was). Arceus knew Sam's last Pokémon was a lowly Magikarp he had equipped an EXP Share to, but to make the fight fair he refused to read Sam's mind to discover his use for it…

* * *

Samuel had given up on escape as well, having finally decided that nothing he could do would ever set him free from his infinite prison. One he had determined this, he began to pray, pleading to Arceus that his soul be set free, or at the very least eliminated, that even death was better than eternal solitude…

* * *

Magikarp was one half Sam's secret weapon. He knew that Arceus could not heal itself from its paralysis, and also that his Magikarp had not been trained at all – its spot was merely a filler so he could enter the leagues which required a six-Pokémon team. He reached into his sack for the other half. Sam had made the level ball himself from an apricorn he found in the Johto, and he never missed a catch. With skill that would rival most major league baseball players, Sam threw his trap at Arceus, to which Arceus shouted.

"You fool! Did you not hear my warnings? Did I not tell you that I cannot be defeated?"

Sam did not hear Arceus, his mind preoccupied with what he would do with his newfound power…

* * *

Having said his prayer, Samuel pondered what he could do next, but could find nothing. But he soon felt exhausted, which was the first thing he had felt in all five years. And so, surrounded by the dance of the Colors, Samuel emptied his mind and began to sleep…

* * *

Once the level ball shook against the clear glass floor of the Hall of Origin. Twice. _Come on! _Three times the ball shook. _Almost there!_

With the light of an exploding star and a sound like a volcanic eruption, Arceus shot himself out of the ball. In a single fluid motion, Arceus used an attack it had never used before: Judgment. The single attack knocked Magikarp clean off of the Hall, detonated Sam's other five Pokéballs, and knocked Sam on his back for what would be the final time. Then Arceus began to speak, but not with the compassion or warning tone he had used earlier, but with one of anger.

"You fool! I warned you I could not be defeated, could not be caught, but you refused to listen! All you wanted was power, and that is why you lost. You were blinded by your own human superiority, and that is why you have lost. You came here seeking to dethrone me, but you will leave with a curse. Let it be on this day you bear witness to my true power!"

Sam cowered in fear as Arceus, for the first time since Sam's arrival, began to move ominously toward Sam.

"You did not know what sort of power you were messing with! Those five you brought with you to battle me have shared their thoughts, and we have all agreed in our Judgment." As if by some miracle of nature, Dialga, Palkia, and the Trio of Spirits were resurrected and positioned themselves behind Arceus, their eyes filled with mutual rage. Then Sam witnessed a sight not even the legends knew of. Arceus's plates began to circle its body, and some began to detach themselves. Fire, water, grass, electric, psychic, fighting, dark, and dragon each flew away from Arceus's body, which shown through a brilliant golden light. They show themselves downward, shattering the Hall of Origin and embedding themselves in the Spear Pillar.

Energy began to flow through the plates as Sam began to fall a thousand feet. Before he was halfway down, Arceus spoke again.

"Even by your own classifications you place me above other Pokémon! Am I not called the Alpha Pokémon, the first? And numerically, am I not the last, the omega? Your great grandfather knew of such things, and it pities me that you know not. Yet you had your chance for forgiveness, and now you must reap the consequences of your actions. Your judgment is as follows."

Sam's body crashed into the floor of the Spear Pillar, rung through with the energy of the eight rogue plates. Yet he still had enough time to hear Arceus's last words to him.

"You must gain what you have been seeking, for only then will you understand your mistake."

In that instant, Sam saw all the others who had attempted what he had done, who had received their own judgments. A man had his mind broken, and could no longer even realize he existed. Twins, a boy and a girl, had been turned into Volbeat and Illumise respectively, and had still not made it off the mountain. A young woman was kept away from her family forever, yet it was made that she dedicate her life to reaching them. The list of horrific, sometimes gruesome judgments continued for what felt like hours, but was really less than a nanosecond. An instant later, Samuel found himself in a formless void, knowing not of death, but being not alive…

* * *

Samuel awoke with as much a start a nonbeing can have. How long had he been asleep? Days? Millennia? It mattered not. Within his dream, which he was sure Arceus had sent him, he witnessed his purpose. He began to concentrate not on bringing himself to the Colors, but bringing the colors to him. Bellowing out his orders to the cosmos, he began to construct a planet. He had even discovered, in his sleep, the ability to construct _life._ And so, with a brilliant flash, he had created what Arceus had: a universe.

Time began to flow, and objects moved through space. As form began to develop, he concentrated on a single star. Around this star he built a planet, and upon which he would begin his reign. Arceus had created a little over 600 Pokémon, plus humans. Samuel would create millions of animals, and even include humans on his world. And so came the time when the star shown its light on the planet and its newly created inhabitants.

Then evening came, then morning.

The first day.


End file.
